How to Overcome Shiny Object Syndrome (aka “all the things”)

It happens to all of us… we hit a wall in our business. And it doesn’t matter in which stage your business is in, there are always walls to be hit. Maybe you’re a newbie entrepreneur or business owner – excited to launch your new business, get a new logo and set up all your social media and website. But now what? You hit a wall.

In the middle stage, you’ve started to really build momentum. You’re running high. Clients abound. But how do you level up and move into the big leagues? You hit a wall.

You’re in the big leagues now. You’re making 6, 7 or 8 figures a month. But to remain up there in the big leagues, you need to keep clients coming in and make sure your foundational walls are solid with the right systems and backend setups. But how do you know what is right for your business? You hit a wall.

These walls are obstacles we need to get around (or over) in order to move our business forward. We want a quick fix. Quick answers so we can get on with things, climb over the wall and start making (more) money! And that’s when we fall trap to “Shiny Object Syndrome”.

What is Shiny Object Syndrome?

In a nutshell, Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS) is a disease of distraction. It tends to affect entrepreneurs and business owners specifically because we are the kind of people who LOVE new shiny things! We started our own businesses, right?

But with the excitement and joy new things bring us, too much of a good thing can also be harmful.

It really happens

Take my client – let’s call her “Susan”. “Susan” had successfully launched her business. She had all the social media accounts she needed, and a nice shiny logo and a website. She launched her business. And then waited…. Crickets.

No one seemed interested in her business. She wasn’t getting any phone calls, emails or people asking about her services. She hit a wall. Now what?

She had seen a lot of ads online for webinars and courses offering to teach her how to get $20K in revenue in a month using Pinterest. And how to use Facebook ads to attract clients. Also how to use Instagram to become rich! (And well, you know what I mean).

So she signed up for every freebie she could find, every course and webinar and coach that she could afford (and some she couldn’t afford!). She even tried copying some of the things her competitors were doing.

And then the SOS symptoms started.

Overwhelm

Brain fog

Confusion

Fatigue

Stress

She was spending so much time and money trying to do “all the things”. She was making herself sick from it! And she wasn’t getting anything done! She was spending her time doing all things, but really doing nothing at all.

So what did she do?

She had to stop! (After an intervention!) She had to go cold turkey on all the shiny objects and refocus on WHY she got into the business in the first place.

Back to the basics.

Who did she want to work with?

Why did she want to work with them?

Why do they need to work with her? What issues do they have?

What solutions does SHE have to resolve their issues?

Answering these questions again gave her focus. She wasn’t doing the wrong things necessarily but just trying to do too MANY things. And she really wasn’t doing anything to move her business forward. She was stuck in the land of overwhelm.

Shiny Object Syndrome can be debilitating to a business.

It can leave your business in chaos and stagnation. You will be stuck in the same stage of business until you can get rid of SOS.

How do you get rid of SOS?

Step 1: Realize you have a problem

It isn’t normal or healthy to have SOS. It really can be debilitating to both you and your business! Realizing you have a problem is your first step to recovery!

Step 2: Refocus

Put down all the shiny objects.

Ask yourself these questions:

Who do you want to work with? (Who is your ideal client?)

Why do you want to work with them?

Why do they need to work with you? What issues do they have?

What solutions do you have to resolve their issues?

Step 3: Where do your clients hang out?

Now you’ve reminded yourself of who your ideal client is, work out where they spend MOST of their time. Is it on Facebook? Pinterest? Instagram? LinkedIn? Or offline in the real world, at networking events?

Step 4: Pick ONE shiny object. ONLY ONE!

If you worked out that your ideal client is MOSTLY on Pinterest, then pick ONE Pinterest course or handout or webinar to learn the basics. JUST ONE.

Learn ONLY the basics. You don’t need to be an expert!

If you need an expert, hire one!

Step 5: Focus all your energy and efforts

Don’t deviate from your ONE shiny object! Focus on it for 2-3 months until you’ve given it time to work for you. (Believe me, one to two weeks is NOT long enough to ‘try it out’.)

If it isn’t working, then move on to ONE other shiny object.

Step 6: Rinse and repeat

But – FOMO?

Don’t worry – you won’t miss out!

Just because someone else is doing all the things, doesn’t mean you should! Really! Each of our businesses is different and unique. What works for one business may not work for another.

So don’t fall into the FOMO trap! You won’t miss out. Instead you will have a solid and manageable game plan that will keep you focused on your business! Stay the course. You’ll find success. I promise!